Thursday, June 30, 2011

21-yr-old Asian lion dies at Delhi zoo.

Nivedita Khandekar, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, June 29, 2011
Ghaghas, a 21-year-old Asiatic lion died due to old age at the National Zoological Park in the Capital on Wednesday. The Asiatic lion was not keeping well for last many months and suffered from paralysis a few days ago. “Ghaghas had been seriously ill for last few days and had showed signs of deterioration since this morning,” said a zoo official.
The average life expectancy for a captive lion is 18 to 20 years, zoo officials said. Ghaghas was brought from Junagarh sanctuary to the National Zoological Park, popularly known as Delhi zoo, when it was just seven years old.
Zoo officials said, except for the paralysis developed recently, Ghaghas was not ill otherwise but showed all signs of ageing. For instance, in absence of the famed strong teeth, the ageing lion was given boneless meat. Zoo staff took great care of the food intake and also fed tonic supplements for strength.
Ghaghas was not taken out of the cage and was provided all care within its cage itself. In winters, the cage had a heater right next to the lion while in summer the heater was replaced with a cooler.
After Ghaghas’s death, the Delhi zoo is now left with seven Asiatic lions (three male and four female). One male Sundaram and female Akila too have developed paralysis, zoo sources said.

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"If ever you feel like an animal among men, be a LION" -Criss Jami, American Musician and Poet. "Lion: The fiercest and most magnanimous of the four footed beasts" - Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language (1755)

Asiatic Lion Protection Society

Asiatic Lion Protection Society (ALPS) founded in year 2006, is an NGO working mainly for conservation of Asiatic Lion in Gir forest and in Indian Zoos. Main objectives: To compile max. information about Asiatic Lion plus Gir forest and spread it through out the globe by website, blogs, Wikipedia, yahoo groups etc To help protection & conservation of Asiatic Lion & Gir forest by taking up projects like - Building parapets on open wells. - To contact and request nationalize banks of Gir area to put a condition to built parapet on open wells while sanctioning loan to farmers - At the time of festivals, organize camps near temples like Kankai, Banej & Tulsi Shyam to educate tourist to protect wildlife. - To distribute information and awareness leaflets at check-post to visitors using jungle roads. - Make representation & persuade Govt. to make Gir 'A Plastic Free Zone. Similarly contact local civil bodies to make their areas A Plastic free zone. To inform authorities about illegal activities inside the jungle like wood-cutting, removal of forest produce, poaching, illegal grazing etc. To inform authorities about injured wild animals. Also educate locals of Gir forests as well as school/college students to conserve Gir forest, it's wildlife and to represent to Govt. in favor of trans-location of Asiatic Lion to some other good place in Gujarat. P S: We welcome your comments & posts and expect that our conversation will follow the general rules of respectful civil discourse. You’re fully responsible for everything that you submit here in your comments & posts.

Discover Gir forest with us...

If you wish to travel Gir forest... we will be happy to help, guide and accompany you to explore Gir forest for the best experience. Please contact us for the same.

Gir forest...Gir lies has a topography made up of succession of rugged ridges, isolated hills, plateaus and valleys. Besides, being the last abode of Asiatic lions, Gir forms a unique habitat for ratel, rusty spotted cat, pangolin, ruddy mongoose, civets, paradise flycatcher etc.The overwhelming presence of the omnipotent big cat diverts the attention of the common man from the remarkable bird population that the sanctuary has. However, the birds of Gir sanctuary did attract the great ornithologist, Dr. Salim Ali who believed that, had the Asiatic lions not been there, the area would have been one of the most fascinating bird sanctuaries of the country.People mostly link Gir with "Maldharis" who have survived through the ages by having symbiotic relationship with the lion. They are religious pastoral communities living in Gir. Their settlements are called "nesses".At present, Gir forests of Gujarat (India) is the only natural place where this race of lions i.e. Asiatic lion is found.